Sandra Fluke’s Campaign for California State Senate Advances to General Election

Women’s rights activist and attorney, Sandra Fluke, finished in the top two in her run for an open state Senate seat in California’s 26th district. Current state Senator Ted Lieu is running for the retiring Henry Waxman’s seat. The two candidates who earn the most votes in California primary elections advance to the general election regardless of political party, so Fluke will now compete against fellow Democrat Ben Allen for the seat. The general election will take place on November 4.

Fluke and Allen are competing for the state Senate seat currently occupied by Ted Lieu, who led in the primary for Henry Waxman’s seat in the House for California’s 33rd district. Waxman is retiring after 40 years of leadership in the House. Democrat Lieu came in second place in his primary with 19 percent of the vote, falling slightly behind Republican Elan Carr, who earned 21 percent of the vote. But Lieu will win the general election because Waxman’s seat is a strong Democratic seat and there were many Democrats running. Wendy Greuel was also competing for the Waxman seat but came in third place, so she will not advance.